Car-coupling.



C. F. HARTKOPF.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I2. 1916;

Patented May 21,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. F. HARTKOPF.

I CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. ms.

1 ,267,217. Patented May 2l, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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CARL F. HARTKOPF, OF MARION, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F TWENTY-FOUR ONE- HUNDREDTHS TO A. M. NORMAN AND TWENTY-FOUR ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO 1?. J. SWAN, BOTH OF MARION, ILLINOIS..

CAR-COUPLING.

Application filed April 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL F. HARTKOPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Williamson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CarCouplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

The primary object of this invention is to simplify the general construction of car coupler, so as to admit of the knuckle of the same being conveniently and expeditiously locked or unlocked.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a novel type of locking device for the knuckle, which is of simple and durable construction and eflicient in operation, and so associated with the coupler that it will not be affected by weather conditions.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings formlng a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the coupler having the removable portion thereof removed,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through the coupler,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken through the same,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section, taken through the coupler and showing the knuckle locking mechanism in released position,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the knuckle removed from the coupler,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an element of the locking mechanism removed from the coupler, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another element of the operating mechanism removed from the coupler.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the letter A designates the coupler as an entirety, and which is of the J anney type, the said coupler consisting of a body portion formed of a lower section 1 and an upper removable section 2, the said sections being secured together by means of fastening ele- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Serial No. 90,628.

ments 3. The lower section 1 is provided with a recess 4:, which opens into the upper side of the section 1 and the lower wall of the recess 41 has a longitudinal slot 5 therein, which communicates with the recess at and the outer surface of the lower wall, and the said lower wall has its inner surface cutaway to provide a central inclined portion 6 and a seat 7, which seat is located at the lower end of the inclined portion 6. The forward wall of the section 1 is provided with an opening 8, which communicates with the recess 4, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The knuckle of the coupler is designated by the numeral 9 and has a hub 10 formed thereon, which is received between cars 11 and 12 carried by the respective sections 1 and 2, the hub is pivoted between the cars 11 and 12 by the pivot pin 13. A tail 14. is carried by the knuckle 9 and extends rear- Wardly and through the opening 8 in the forward wall of the lower section, and into the recess 1 and is adapted to be engaged by suitable locking mechanism, located within the recess, when the knuckle is in operative position. I

The locking mechanism consists of a slidable member 15, which is tapered throughout its length and has the larger end thereof provided with a substantially semicircular recess 16, which receives the inner end of the arm 14;. The member 15 is adapted to be held against sliding movement, when. the knuckle is in locked position, by means of a locking head 17, which is rotatably mounted within the recess 4: by means of the trunnions 18, which are carried by the opposite sides of the head 17, and are received by bearing recesses 19 formed in the side walls of the recess 1. The head 17 is positioned at the smaller end of the member 15 and that end of the head 17, which opposes the adjacent end of the member 15, is flat, as shown at 20, and is adapted to engage the adjacent end of the member 15, when the head is in locking position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so as to prevent sliding movement of the member 15. The opposite end of the head 17 is curved, as shown at 21, to admit of the rotation of the head within the seat 7. An arcuate shaped lever 22 depends from the under side of the head 17 'ment of the lever the head 17 is rotated and movement of the lever is continued until the lever abuts the opposite end wall of the slot 5, so as to limit the movement of the lever. When the lever comes into contact with the said end wall of the slot 5 the head 17 will have been rotated-sufiiciently to cause the 'fiat end thereof to aline with the under side of the movable-member 15 so that when outward pull is exerted on the knuckle, the arm 14 willslide the member 15 ontothe vhead 16, as'shown in dotted line position :in

Fig. at of thedrawings. When the knuckle has been uncoupled and returned tonormal position the member 15 will gravitate and slide back to normal position, and the lever 21 will return to normal position and rotate thehead 17 in the opposite direction, so as to present the :flat. end 20 of the'head 17 to the adjacent end of the member 15, so as to prevent sliding of the member 15.

The opposite side walls of the recess 4: are

provided "with grooves 23, which consist of a lower horizontal portlon and an upper 1nclined portion, which extends to the upper edge of the lower section 1. The hearings or recesses 19 are formed in the lower walls of the horizontal portionsof the grooves. The grooves 23 provide means whereby the head 17 can be conveniently removed and replaced within section 1. The section 1 has its inner surface provided with arecess 24:,

so as to provide a clearance for the member '15, when the latter is being moved onto the head 16.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A car coupler comprising a head having a recess therein, a knuckle pivotally associated with the head, atail carried by the knuckle and extending into' the recess, a

' men'iber pivoted directly to the tail, a locking element pivoted within the recess and adapted to engage the member to lock the knuckle, and a manipulating element carried by the locking member, said manipulating member being adapted; 'to'move the locking member to locking position.

2. A car coupler comprising a head formed of va lower sectionv andwan upper removable section, the lower' section having: a

recess therein, theopposite side walls "01 the I recess havingmrooves therein including a horizontal portlon and an upwardly inclined portion, a said inclined portion extending to the upper edge of the lower section, the lower Walls of the horizontal portions "of the grooves being provided with semi-circular depressions, a knuckle pivotally associated Y with the head, a tail carried by the knuckle and extending into therecess in% the lower section, a movable member located within the recess in the lower sectionand connected directly to the tail, a locking element for engaging behind the member located within the recess when the latter is in a lowered position for normally holding themember against movement and having trunnions thereon rotatably received in the depressions formed in the lower walls of the horizontal portions of the grooves, said grooves fo-rming means whereby the locking element can be conveniently removed from the lower section, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL F. HARTKOPF.

Witnesses GEO. R. STONE, FLoRA STRIKE.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

